The 1971-1973 Mercury Cougar had one-of-kind muscle car styling along with the ability to combine performance with luxury. Watch this video to find out why the 1971-1973 Mercury Cougar is so unique and why it's now gaining in popularity.
I particularly like the subtle fender lines of the '69 and '70 mode Cougars , the XR7 being my favorite. Those were really elegant. Even so , I do find the '71-'73 models quite handsome in their own right.
I looked at '70s cars as "just cars" when they were new. Exciting when new, but the novelty wore off after a while. Now as we head towards 2020, I embrace the 70's cars more now than ever.
I still like late '60's much better, and still think most '70's are at best "just cars". The bulky, squared off corners, extended bumpers, reduced visibility, etc., are just as boring as the smothered engine performance due first generation smog controls amd catalytic converters. In this case, the 1st gen Cougars were a favorite of mine for the class of sporty, but not full muscle cars.
I had an '83 Mercury Cougar as a teenager. It was a hand-me-down from a relative. By '83 the Cougar wasn't nearly the car it was in the first 2 generations.
mwdca Ford killed the Cougar in 1971 when they turned it from a beautiful muscle car into an ugly end table. The line suffered a long, drawn-out, torturous death with the addition of 4-doors, station wagons and other polluting flotsam. They axed the Thunderbird after 1966 when they began building 4-door vacuum cleaners. And GM suffocated the timeless 1963 Buick Riviera with the dreadful monstrosities that befell the name after 1965. It's no wonder the government took over the auto industry in 1973; it was already well on its own Road to Ruin.
@@jackmarlow4355 I had the CB jammed into my leg and an igloo cooler between my feet and after 150+ miles of garish signs she refused to stop and look at "The Thing" i could have killed her.
@@jackmarlow4355 forgot to add, sorry, the car was a comfortable cruiser. Seats were soft, wide and plush, decent support and the car rode pretty good. We were pulling a small U-Haul trailer and the only time we really noticed was going through the mountains into CA.
The 71-73 styling was a confusing array of vertical and horizontal front grilles and an absolute Titanic boat anchor for a rear bumper. It was HIDEOUS. The Mercury/Ford stylists of these,...as well as the 70-72 Thunderbird.....should have been tarred & feathered. Just being absolutely honest. The 67-68 & 69-70 were nicest Cougar years. Narrator needs to learn about actual classic and desirable collectables.
@@billburr3428 THANK YOU ! Truer words were never spoken. I've heard them called everything from end tables to book ends to baby '71 - '72 LTDs. Detroit kept flattening their cars to extremes beyond what they were in 1957. "Bunky" Knudsen, from Pontiac, went to work for Ford, and that's how that horrid '70 Thunderbird with the 'beaked' nose emanated. Admittedly, the 1970s were among the worst years for all domestic manufacturers. No education on classic and desirable cars is as genuine as experiencing them while they are transitioning from old, used transportation to sought-after collectibles.
In College I had a 73 Mustang and a friend had a 72 Cougar. The Cougar sported the 4v Cleveland, mine had the two barrel version. Even with an aftermarket intake and Holley on my Mustang he could still beat me every time. I love the first two generations of the Cougars. 30 years later I still have my Mustang. It's not highlighted in the video, the Ford '4 barrel' option was not just a bigger carb. The '4V' Cleveland had larger intake and exhaust ports and valves. A forged crankshaft and typically higher compression along with a more aggressive Cam. For it's time, the 4V Cleveland was a nice piece of work.
I'm assuming that he is assuming that they didn't make 2V Clevelands... and I tend to agree that a small carb wouldn't make sense on top of big valves.
It's always been my dream to just own a classic muscle car, and for my 17th birthday, I got myself a 1971 cougar for 14k 351c 4v it had a blown manifold gasket and a new radiator but, the body is prestine condition as is the interior. Couldn't pass it up lol.
Thanks for the video. Brought back a lot of memories. My first car in high school was my mom's hand me down '72 Cougar XR7. It was charcoal gray with a black vinyl top and black leather interior. It wasn't in the same performance league as the guys with the Camaros, Mustangs and 'Cudas but with the aluminum mags, and dual exhaust I added it looked and sounded the part. Actually, I grew up with that car. My mom got it new when I was 11. I knew every inch of that car before I ever drove it from all the hours spent washing it for allowance money and sitting in it waiting for my mom to run some errand. I learned to drive in that car, took my driving test in it, first date (and believe it or not, 40 years later that same girl is sitting next to me on the couch as I type this), first ticket, first...ah... ;) Lot of memories...
I love the first two generations of Cougar but actually like the 1971-1973 versions better. It's a beautiful car and its styling has aged incredibly well!
My great Uncle bought a new '68 burgundy cougar with black leather interior and tonnes of chrome on the interior . It was a thing of beauty , breathtaking . He bought me ice cream when it was brand new on a really hot day and I threw up inside his baby .
Great video , Thanks . For over 30 yrs. I have the best part of a 1971 Cougar. Not a modified , but a 351 Cleveland (peanut plug ). Right now it's a short block , as I stripped it down , for inspection . No block damage , and stock specs. It sits in the garage . I have a 1995 Mustang GT . with the 5 liter HO motor . 5 speed , full power inside . I had a brain fart , of building the Clev. to Boss 351 specs . using after market 4v aluminum heads , and pulling the 5.o and dropping in the built Cleveland . Just for shyts , and giggles .I'm an old gear head from the 60's who raced NHRA . I still have the will to be like days of old . Where tuning was done mechanically , without computers . I have that skill also , with a degree in electronic engineering . Your site reignited a passion for my past years happiness . Thank You , for that .
Boy oh boy oh boy does this channel do a great job with the very professional presentations, and all without any horrible & most annoying background music. 5 stars!
I tend to go out and find, buy, drive cars listed by this channel. My wife is pissed until I get them driving again and then she's all in love with them
Thanks for making this. My first car was my parent's old 1972 Mercury Cougar XR7 coupe. It was a great car, fun to drive and very reliable. It stayed with my family for 14 years, which meant it was parked out in the streets through 14 years of rough NYC winters and lasted that long. I loved that car, so much so, that 15 years ago I bought a 1972 Mercury Cougar XR7 convertible and still have fun driving it.
....but sales for the 1972 were 181,000 while the 1973 sold 250,000. Everyone has their preference but when the 73 came out, it was hot. Unfortunately, rarely seen today.
I had a 1972 base cougar, red convertible, black top and maroon interior. One of the nicest looking cars I’ve owned. It was fast and fun to drive on long trips. Sad day when I had to sell it.
My parents bought a new '73. I was 16 so I borrowed it so much I remember getting upset if they were taking it. They also had an Olds Delta 88 which they actually liked better but they were Cadillac owners for the most part so I was kinda shocked when they bought the Cougar. Lasted about a year and they let my older sister and her husband buy it. Sad day for me.
@@hornetbrown in the end credits of the TV show The FBI. Efrem Zimalist Jr drove a red color 1971 base Mercury Cougar through the streets of Washington DC.
Outstanding visual in this video. I had a 72 Montego, an identical twin of the Cougar. One of the best cars I ever had. This video could have been about the same car. Good memories.
In 1976, I worked at a Honda dealership, located next door to a Lincoln-Mercury dealership. The Linc-Merc dealer had 2 new cars parked nose to nose in front of dealership that had drivers slamming on their brakes as they drove by. A 76' Cougar XR-7 in Dark Jade Metallic, White Landau Vinyl Top & White Leather Bucket Seats/White Interior. Facing it was a 76' Lincoln-Continental 2 Door Town Coupe that matched exactly. It was also Dark Jade Metallic, White Landau Top & White Leather Interior. Those 2 cars still stand out so vivid in my mind. 2 very beautiful cars when the sun shined upon them. Cars don't come in beautiful colors like they did back in the 60's & 70's.
Back in 1971, I ordered a new Cougar XR7 coupe, Medium Brown Metallic with the Natural Brown leather interior. I took delivery in May of that year and drove it for 8 years. Mine had the 351 4V Cleveland engine with the 4-speed manual and Hurst shifter, A/C, full power including power windows, steering, and front disc brakes. It was equipped with the Competition Suspension package and big F60-15 Goodyear Polyglass tires, an option normally found on Mustangs. The handling was great for its time and I commuted back and forth from the SF Bay Area to Sacramento on weekends. It was the first car I ordered as opposed to buying off the dealers lot, or through a dealer swap. My trade in was a 1969 Cougar base model coupe with the 351 2V Windsor engine and 4-speed box, bought through a dealer swap. I traded in my XR7 in 1979 with 92,000 miles mainly because I was worried that I might not be able to get the high octane gas it required. I wish I could have kept it. It was my second favorite car of all those I've owned, my favorite being my 2015 BMW M4 that I have now, which I also bought on order.
I guess 2-door RWD cars aren't profitable anymore. I've been waiting for someone to make one that actually looks good but car styling is so disgusting today and only seems to be getting worse. I can't stand the current trend of un-needed electronics being the focus of cars today. I don't need an info-tainment center or a big screen to play with.
@@mtnpckr I was a Mustang/Cougar fan for 40 years but these days my toy is a 2013 Challenger R/T, 5.7 L Hemi, 6 speed manual, 3.73 limited slip rearend.
And you can barely tell one car from another. Everyone wants to look, think, act, and feel the same. Cars today are for conformists with no imagination, no style, no individuality.
And you can barely tell one car from another. Everyone wants to look, think, act, and feel the same. Cars today are for conformists with no imagination, no style, no individuality.
I had a White 1969 AMC-Javelin with a 290V-8. I was forced to leave it in Texas while looking for a job. I was offered $500.00 and had no choice but to sell it.....that car is worth $22,000 today . I still wake up crying that it's gone but wake up and realize I'm only half dreaming....its gone but not stolen anyway .
1st gen was nicer looking than its porky successors. Had Mercury differentiated all its cars from the Ford offerings as well as it did Cougar / Mustang, it might still be in business. Like GM, Mercuries were mostly all gussied up Fords and the 'gussying' didn't always result in a better looking car. Yes, early 1st gen was a great looking car.
It's strange to me that Mercury also had the Montego about this time. It looked almost identical to the 71-73 Cougar except for a slight diference in the tail lights. It didn't make any sense to me to have two almost identical cars under the same name of Mercury.
@@andyrehorn7541 You don't think the 72 Cougar and 72 Montego are similar? To me, the front grill and quad headlights are very much alike. The over-all body of the Montego exterior and interior are similar to Cougar. Just my opinion.
That's been a Mercury headache for years, going back to the innovative 1947 Sportsman and Sun Valley, then the horrific Termite Crushers, the XR4TI and the most recent Pimple-Mobile.
When I turned 30 I purchased my very first NEW dream car ever… a 1985 Cougar GS. Dark Blue exterior, black interior, killer digital dash, sweet ride, LOVED it. Drove it until 1991- my wife and I even did 4 round trips to Rochester , NY in 2 years 1990-91 and a summer road trip from Philly to Toronto and back in it. Never had a mechanical issue. Great memories while I was attending graduate degree school.
My mother bought a new '71 Cougar XR7 and my uncle had a '73 Cougar XR7! I remember in the late 70's and early 80's as a kid driving with my mother! It was a great car and I have fond memories of that car!
We had a 1977 LTD II, which as you recall was the intermediate that replaced Torino. In fact, I think the '77 to '79 LTD II used the prior Torino frame. These LTD II and Mercury Cougar intermediates only built a wagon for 1977. ( 2 doors, 4 doors and Ford's Ranchero ran '77 to '79 ). Believe it or not, our '77 wagon logged over 520,000 documented miles on the original 351M before frame rust posed too great a risk. Not great gas mileage or power, but Ford built the best engines, no question.
Rednec, wow -I used to own a 77 T-Bird, and the stock motor was super-smooth but weak. The body, driveline, and suspension were outstanding, it was fairly tight handling wise for that size car - I always wondered what it would be like with a strong Big Block...Nicely done, I bet it just hums at around 100 MPH...?
Another fun & informative profile on an early 70's model I always wanted, I had the big brother 1978 XR-7 to the T-bird with a 351 M Cleveland which was one of the best Ford made cars I've ever owned.
My first introduction to a "70's" personal luxury car was my grand-parents 1974 Cougar XR7; I loved that car! I bought for myself a fully loaded 77 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, with swivel buckets and a moon roof as a follow-up! Gosh, either of those two cars I'd have back in a minute!
What can I. Say? ALWAYS: BEST ANNOUNCING VOICE BEST CAR INFO AND HISTORY ABOUT UNIQUE AUTOS BEST DIRECTION THE BEST PERIOD ( I OF COURSE AM A SUBSCRIBER)
"As odd as it was a car with such a formal front end would have such a radical rear design. Mercury designers were able to make it work" 2:46 So that kind of makes the Cougar the automotive equivalent of a Mullet.
Hey you should do a video on the failure of GM notorious X cars Chevrolet Citation Oldsombile Omega Pontiac Phoenix and Buick Skylark and the numerous recalls.
The first car I ever owned, a used 1980 Chevy Citation. What a piece of junk. I had to leave the gas cap loose after I filled it up because it would get a vacuum lock and wouldn’t run. 4 speed manual that backfired when you shifted out of 1st and 2nd. Rear turn signals lit up when you stepped on the brake. God I miss that car.
You guys are gonna run low on car's to do one of these days,and when you do check out the 1962 Ford Galaxy,the ones that they only made 500 of them!!!A lot of people don't even know that they exist in the first place,DO your homework like you usually do and you will see that I'm right,and NO I'M not trying to be a know it all but I didn't know about them until the latter seventies and I about freaked out!!!!I had no idea that they exist,but they are DEADLY FORCE POWER!!!!!!!! 406 engine 405hp!!!!!!!!Come out from the factory like that with THREE deuces and dual point distributor,, Factory cast iron headers!!!!!You get the picture!!!!!!!
Mercury was complaining to Ford that they didn't have a Thunderbird and Mustang rival and so Ford gave them the Cougar as an in between market car smaller and cheaper than the Thunderbird and bigger and more expensive than the Mustang! And the Cougar name was first used on the Mustang concept car, if I remember correctly! My third car was a 1970 Xr7! I've always liked all of the generations of the Cougar, especially from 1967 to 1983!
Really enjoy your videos, Thank you, brings back a lot of memories.. have you done any on the mercury montigo or gran torino? I'll look through your vids. I'm a GM guy myself but have fond emories of the 60-80s cars from all brands. I'm still tinkering with my 82 third gen TA with the 1980 301T installed. Really enjoyed your video on that one too.
@Ricky Roma Why's that? I'm not gonna like something based solely on the fact that nobody else likes it. The fact is the 67-70 Cougars were beautiful. The 71-73 was not
I love these!! You know it I've commented before. 351C 2v-or 4V. No straight 6. No 302. Just that sweet cleveland. Or if you want, a 429cj V8, for 1971. These cars drive awesome. They will smoke the rear tires at will! Even a 351C 22Bbl, will impress you!! According to Marti reports, all71-73 Cougars, with 351cid, were Cleveland's, with canted large valves. These engines rock!! The guy is right, find a 71-72, XR7, before the major detune, and compression ratio drop, of 1973. You will be rewarded with a great driving, and handling, muscle luxury car!!
Dang dude!! I can't wait to see a 22 barrel V8. That would be a true, Bugatti beating hypercar then. Hehehe I know you made a typo but still a cool idea. Lol
*1969 Ford Headquarters* -Hey amm boss?, Pontiac have this new thing the "Trans Am" is like a more luxury, agressive, and powerful Firebird and it's doing very well, how are we going to compete with that?!- -I got it! Make the cougar uglier, heavier, and slower than the Mustang so we won't sell neither young or old buyers because it's too luxury for the young and too sporty for the old-
the cougar had a 3 inches stretched wheelbase...it was to compete against midsizes. compared to those it it was ligther. it was a personal car not a pony. GM competitor would have been the montecarlo. in the pony market ford was far from fearing the firebird. camaro and firebird together wasnt even coming close to mustang sales, who was the undisputed king of the segment
@@ragimundvonwallat8961 well than why did Ford downsize the mustang for 74,1974 was the year that the mustang got to be a glorified pinto and the cougar went to more of a Chevy monte carlo. Of course the mustang story does have a happy ending But the 1974 78 mustang all wasn't a part of that. I ve always loved the first two generations of mercury cougars the best. Far better than those from 1974 and later
My dad had a green Cougar way back when, and the car saved his and my mom's life! They were on the West Side Highway a bit past midnight, coming home from a party in NYC, when a drunk jumped the divder and hit them head on! The whole front of the Cougar was collapsed, looking like an accordion, with the engine hanging out the side! My parents walked away from that accident, with just a little whiplash for my mom! I actually have photos of the car, including an accident shot of the front end!
Man I love this car" The Mustang with Lincoln parts" I always say, in the far south side of Chicago this is a great car Gimmie that 429 C J 🐍 with an automatic '68, '69, '70-'71 I'm cool with that. 😜 🚗💥💨.
